Last year, when I drew this, I had just recently tried painting slowly after a few weeks of speed painting (I had been training for Art Battle by making 20-minute paintings). By changing my pace, I found that so many new ideas were coming to me. But I do remember that the same was true when I began speed painting! So really, just changing an element of what i do – whether it’s pace, palette, materials, or content – can be enough to spark a whole new set of creative ideas.

Like this:

My now 14-year old daughter asked me today, “Mom, how can I stop comparing myself to girls who are skinny?” And so it begins… The goal to accept, love, validate and approve of myself is often a difficult struggle- I find these days, more than ever before, the child in me is seeking these things CONSTANTLY. It feels like insanity.